Theatre stars bemoan exclusion from KL international arts festival

Datuk Faridah Merican believes that theatre is essentially the backbone of the arts scene. – The Malaysian Insider pic, September 6, 2015.There is a glaring absence of theatre in the first ever Kuala Lumpur International Arts Festival going on this month in the Klang Valley, a fact that has not gone unnoticed by local purveyors of the genre.

"Theatre, after the traditional arts, has the longest history of the performing arts in Malaysia. It's a great way to learn about history. I find it very strange that it's not in the festival," said Five Arts Centre founding member Datin Marion D'Cruz.

Marion, along with with Datuk Faridah Merican of the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre and Actors Studio, believe that theatre is essentially the backbone of the arts scene and that it should have a place in an arts festival.

The festival has music, comedy, traditional arts, visual arts and dance segments, each curated by luminaries in the respective fields.

"Surely someone could have been found to curate the theatre segment, I'm not saying it should be me. We have so many choices," Faridah told The Malaysian Insider recently.

"Professionally, not having theatre to fill the festival programme is an unwise action," saud actor and artistic director of Rumah Anak Teater Nam Ron.

"From traditional to contemporary, theatre survives to this day.

"Not having theatre, we will lose out on audiences who like that genre. So sayang."

In response to the disappointment of theatre lovers, KL International Arts Festival director Datin Sunita Rajakumar said the team had initially wanted to include drama and theatre, but had run into roadblocks.

"We really wanted to have the drama genre and had very early on identified some potential productions but for various reasons, we're not able to stage it this year.

"It's been difficult finding a curator or producer for this genre.

"The budgets for each production was (also) high and sponsors were scarce, suitable venues were hard to find – unfortunately, it became difficult to pull together even one show," she told The Malaysian Insider.

"Next year! We try again."

But for The Instant Cafe Theatre Company's Jo Kukathas, the exclusion of theatre from the festival was not merely a logistical issue, but more indicative of a general lack of  support for the theatre scene in Malaysia.

Fresh from a commissioned work for the Singapore International Festival of the Arts called "Hotel", she marvelled at the level of support from government and corporate sponsors that went into the show which took two years to complete.

"For good work to happen, there must be this level of support. And freedom," she said.

However, she was quick to point out that she was not critical of the festival but was merely expressing her hopes for more funds to go into the development of the theatre arts.

"I wish new work was being commissioned and supported. The two Kakiseni initiatives on funding new work and on paying for theatre's fixed costs were great initiatives – money well spent – but it died out after one year of implementation.

"I'd like to see longevity in such programmes and initiatives. Not only one-off ventures. Then we could see development and artistes could manage their calendars better and deepen their work." – September 6, 2015.